Why 2025 Is One of Hollywood’s Worst Years for Sequels

Is anyone else tired of sequels? Hollywood won't stop riding the nostalgia train. Filmmakers know that people love remembering the past, but at one point, it becomes too much. When the bulk of movies released in theaters in a year are sequels or continuations of a franchise, moviegoers crave something new.

Well, 2025 isn't the year of new. Instead, this year, we are constantly getting bombarded with sequels, continuations of series, and remakes/adaptations.

But why? How come some of us are tired of sequels? And which ones are releasing this year? Click through the slideshow to find out. For this article, 24/7 Tempo scoured the internet for credible entertainment resources along with online forums filled with opinions. Since this is more of an opinion piece, as not everyone hates sequels or has the same opinions on movies, take the information with a grain of salt. What someone hates, you might love, and vice versa.

Has anyone noticed that 2025 has become the year of sequels, remakes, and franchise continuations? Click through for a few examples of ones that did not do well.

Nearly thirty years after the first film, Adam Sandler came back with many of the same stars (and a few new ones) for a sequel. Did you see that coming? The film has mixed reviews. While a fun movie to watch when nothing is on, it's nothing spectacular. As of August 2, 2025, the Rotten Tomato Popcornmeter sits at 68%. The first film is at 85%.

It was already shocking when Jurassic Park continued into the Jurassic World franchise. Now we are on the fourth Jurassic World film, "Jurassic World Rebirth," and it didn't do well. While the film earned $736.4 million at the box office against a budget of less than $200 million, the reviews are mixed. Critics on Rotten Tomatoes rate this film a 51%, while audience members like it more at 71%.

Did "M3GAN" need a sequel? Probably not, but it got one anyway. This is another one where critics and audience members can't agree on. Moviegoers on Rotten Tomatoes have this film at an 82%, although this is only with 1,000 reviews. Critics are harsher at 57%. Since this movie is newer, who knows what the ratings will be in another month or two?

Maybe people are exhausted by Marvel movies, or this one didn't receive enough time, but "Captain America: Brave New World" did not do well. It's the fourth film in the Captain America MCU series and was a box office hit, earning over $400 million. But what about the reviews? Well, on the Popcornmeter, it's at 76%, while critics rate it lower at 46%.

"Karate Kid: Legends" was a hit with moviegoers, not including critics. This fun film blended the previous Karate Kid films by including stars like Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio. On IMDb, the film sits at a 6.3, meaning it's just okay. Critics on Rotten Tomatoes are harsh, reviewing it a 58% out of 185 reviews. While not the worst sequel of the year, was it necessary?

Since this article was written in early August 2025, there are still so many sequels that have yet to be released. We won't know if these are any good, just yet. Click through for other sequels releasing in 2025. Are you excited for any?

• Director: Jared Bush and Byron Howard
• Cast: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, Jenny Slate, Nate Torrence, Bonnie Hunt, Don Lake, Tommy Chong, Alan Tudyk, Ke Huy Quan, Fortune Feimster, Quinta Brunson, Jean Reno, and Shakira
• Release Date: November 26, 2025

• Director: James Cameron
• Cast: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Cliff Curtis, Britain Dalton, Trinity Jo-Li Bliss, Jack Champion, Bailey Bass, Kate Winslet, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, and Giovanni Ribisi
• Release Date: December 19, 2025

• Director: Simon McQuoid
• Cast: Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Ludi Lin, Mehcad Brooks, Lewis Tan, Damon Herriman, Chin Han, Tadanobu Asano, Joe Taslim, Hiroyuki Sanada, Karl Urban, Adeline Rudolph, and Tati Gabrielle
• Release Date: October 24, 2025

• Director: Nisha Ganatra
• Cast: Jamie Lee Curtis, Lindsay Lohan, Mark Harmon, Chad Michael Murray, Rosalind Chao, Ryan Malgarini, Christina Vidal Mitchell, Haley Hudson, Stephen Tobolowsky, and Lucille Soong
• Release Date: August 8, 2025

• Director: Ruben Fleischer
• Cast: Isla Fisher, Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Morgan Freeman, Justice Smith, Dominic Sessa, Ariana Greenblatt, and Rosamund Pike
• Release Date: November 14, 2025

• Director: Timo Tjahjanto
• Cast: Bob Odenkirk, Connie Nielsen, RZA, Michael Ironside, Colin Salmon, Billy MacLellan, Gage Munroe, Paisley Cadorath, Christopher Lloyd, Colin Hanks, John Ortiz, and Sharon Stone
• Release Date: August 15, 2025

• Director: Jon M. Chu
• Cast: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Marissa Bode, Michelle Yeoh, and Jeff Goldblum
• Release Date: November 21, 2025

• Director: Joachim Rønning
• Cast: Jared Leto, Greta Lee, Evan Peters, Hasan Minhaj, Jodie Turner-Smith, Arturo Castro, Cameron Monaghan Gillian Anderson, and Jeff Bridges
• Release Date: October 10, 2025